Turnout to KC Restaurant Week could save some brick-and-mortars from shuttering

The surface story of KC Restaurant Week is simple: good food, good community, good cause. The back-of-the-house story can be wildly different.

Thai Orchard displayed a braised short rib alongside creamy Thai Tea. Taco Naco had a pork taco with pickled onions and aioli drizzle. As we perused and partook in the deluge of flavor to come, friendly faces fronting the dishes spoke to sourcing and process. Pork for the taco is marinated for many hours and slow-cooked for many hours more. Semolina for Zero Zero’s handmade pasta restaurant is sourced from Italy.

A spice-prominent display with labels addressing the restaurant name “Bosslady’s” catches my eye; gumbo, rice, and shrimp are tucked lovingly in crockpots behind. A cup of shrimp and rice is placed in my hand as I talk to Bosslady’s owner, Nashaunda Law.

Bosslady’s Famous Shrimp is located in the Gladstone area. She started catering in 2014 to fund nursing school. Her childhood dream was to open a restaurant.

Louisiana relatives expanded her Missouri seafood palate from fish and fried shrimp to a definition encompassing boils, lobster, and bouillabaisse. They gathered yearly and she shared fond memory of it.

“Every time we ate, everybody was outside eating, talking—it was family-oriented. Everybody is joking and playing. Seafood brings people together. Seafood—and barbecue.”

Law brought her restaurant to KC Restaurant Week for the first time last year. She participated as many restaurants do, to pair good food for a good cause and better turnout during a slower month, showcasing local cuisine. This year, it’s different.

“We’re in survival mode.”

Back in August, their freezer stocked full of crustacean delicacies—both for the restaurant and for catering events—went out. Law estimated the loss at around $28,000. With the freezer then fixed by the company, more essential dish staples were stocked only to have the freezer cut out again five days later. They lost around $6,800 the second time.

“I didn’t ruin anybody’s wedding, but trust me, they did not know what I was going through.”

To recover, she had to let go of staff and take on greater parts of the operation. A review cites her as a table server for the night.

Running any brick-and-mortar store in the age of digital purchasing is difficult enough. Presented with an uncertain economy and unforeseen financial downfalls, restaurants cannot linger in this zone of a dream and community space coming to a close.

Even in the midst of weathering blow after blow, food takes center stage. Law stops her story to place a fork in my hand.

The shrimp is delicately cooked throughout, soft and tender, and fresh, far from any ocean-bearing border. With a humble triumph, she tells me the seasoning is what I see on the table.

Supporting local restaurants during KC Restaurant Week doubly gives back to the local community and your belly. If you choose to add Bosslady’s Famous Shrimp into your rotation, you’ll be in good hands. Lashanda Law, along with husband Jeremy Law and their kids, will be there as your waitstaff.

“We’re ready.”